Wild horses of Assateague Island National Seashore
For over 2 decades, my entire immediate family has gathered at the beach for beach week in July. It started as a tradition when my nephew and my parents 1st grand baby was just 3 months old. Because of work, we didn’t celebrate Christmas in December together, so this was our Christmas - in July.
The first home we rented was in Rehoboth Beach. When we outgrew it, we moved to Ocean City Maryland, where we spend a wonderful week on the boardwalk, people watching, hanging at the beach, and carousing in the arcades and shops nearby. I look forward to it every year - most years, it is the only time my parents and us 3 siblings are under the same roof at the same time.
It’s fun to look back and see how much the kids are growing. It’s not as fun to see how much older us adults are getting! However, we have made so many wonderful memories over the years and I’m grateful for every moment.
Near Ocean City is a barrier island that contains Assateague Island National Seashore. Most of this wonderful park is located in Maryland, while the southern most part is located in Virginia. Known for the beach dunes, salt marshes and coastal bays, it’s a great place to spend a few hours, a day, a weekend or longer. There’s so much to do and see, if you love exploring the outdoors and are in this area, I highly recommend putting this on your bucket list of places to visit.
My favorite thing about Assateague Island is the wild horses that roam freely. According to local folklore, these horses are descendants of the survivors of a shipwreck off the Virigina coast. While there is no evidence to support this, these horses are the offspring of domestic animals and have reverted back to their feral state.
While I’m in OCMD, I try to get over here at least once. Some years I see a dozen or more horses and some, like last year, I see none and leave disappointed. This year, the weather for our beach week was chilly, windy, rainy and hazy. It was the worst weather we’ve ever had, but the photographer in me loved it! Not only was it a nice break from the hot humid weather of Florida, but it made for some fantastic photographic opportunities. And I made sure to take advantage of it.
During my 6 day stay, I made 4 trips to the island and spotted over 40 horses in all my visits. The one thing I did not witness and am still dying to experience is to see the horses on the beach. I did learn the best weather conditions for this to happen and am hopeful next year my wish will come true.
With the hazy weather, the sunsets were not very good. Arriving very early in the morning, before the sun rose, was an awesome way to start the day. You already know I love dogs, but I love all animals in general. And when I’m in their presence, I lose track of time, I’m having so much fun. I never tire of watching them and I most certainly never get bored photographing wildlife.
One thing I practiced this year was simply just being and observing in between photographing. At times, it is tempting to move away and either follow the horses or try to move on and find others. But in waiting, I got to witness some incredible moments.
One of those was when a young foal laid down to rest. As his momma and others moved away to grass on grass a little distance away, the young fellow got left behind. When he awoke, he had no idea where anyone was. He couldn’t see his family a short distance away, so he began neighing. His cries were met with no response from his mom. He got up and began walking around, unbeknownst to him, away from the herd. The cries got more frantic and he moved in circles. Eventually he got turned in the right direction and spotted the familiar faces. At that point, he trotted with glee right up to his mom, neighing all the way. Mom calmly greeted him and returned back to her feeding, while he galloped circles with delight at this reunion. It was an incredibly sweet moment to witness.
It is recommended to keep at least 40 feet away from the horses, as they can be aggressive and charge. Timing, patience and the right camera gear help in getting some fantastic shots of these beautiful creatures. It is an experience I will never forget and can’t wait to go back next year.
